Phoenix
by TheGrandDisciple
Summary: Arriving to Hogwarts with a task at hand&being given another with it, destiny leads Phoenix on a journey to something greater while giving to&receiving guidance from Harry Potter during his battle to stop the Dark Lord. This follows Phoenix from his arrival to Hogwarts&his task of helping Harry Beginning just after the train arrives in Order Of The Phoenix. BASED ON THE MOVIES!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter Fan Fiction. Yes Phoenix is an O/C and there will be a few others. There will be certain elements and plot points changed. Will be some spells and enchantments not used that I made up.**__**This takes place after they arrive on the train of the Order Of The Phoenix. The movie version. Please know this is based on the MOVIES because I have not yet read the books review and enjoy.**_ ALSO, MANY PLOT POINTS AND PARTS OF THE ORIGINAL STORY WILL BE CHANGED as is one of the beauties of Fan Fiction. LOL. . Because you can do that. Lol. 

Another year is beginning at Hogwarts. The students are arriving and it's the usual excitement. Once again the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione disembark from the scarlet steam engine together. They are greeted by Hagrid, who seems to be waiting for someone or something to arrive. Regardless, he looks down at them and smiles warmly.

Harry beams up at him. "Hello, Hagrid. How are you?" he asks.

"Harry. Ron. Hermione," Hagrid says to them with a hint of distraction in his voice. He looks back up and holds his lantern high, his black beady eyes looking intently into the sky.

"Are you expecting something, Hagrid?" Ron asks.

"Matter o' fact, a good friend o' mine is comin' here to Hogwarts at Dumbledore's request," Hagrid answers, bringing the trio's attention to the night sky above them, just in time to see a Hippogriff descending toward them. Hagrid laughs a bit as the Hippogriff lands. He walks up to it with another chuckle and shakes hands with the rider. He pulls out a dead ferret and feeds the Hippogriff with another chuckle.

"Buckbeak! How are ya, old friend?" he says and feeds it another ferret.

The young man on the Hippogriff hops off. He is tall and thin, but with a presence that says that he doesn't put up with things that harm either himself or those he cares for. He has long black hair kept in a ponytail, a black goatee, and is wearing all black with the exception of his cloak, which is black with purple lining.

Hagrid hugs the rider before gesturing to the trio. The rider rubs at his ribcage as he follows Hagrid's hand. He nods to the trio before approaching them.

At first, he simply stares at each of them. He sees Harry's black hair, green eyes, and lightning-shaped scar, easily giving away his identity. Next to him, he sees a young woman with curly brown hair and eyes. He thinks he knows who she is, but cannot be sure. Finally, he looks at the ginger and instantly recognizes him as a Weasley, though he can't say which one. They really are easy to identify.

"Harry Potter. Your reputation precedes you," the rider says holding out his hand.

Harry cautiously looks him over before deciding that this person can be trusted. He reaches out and shakes the man's hand. "Thank you. You are?" he asks.

"Where are my manners?" the rider asks. He chuckles. "My name is Phoenix. I'm a longtime friend of Hagrid's," he replies

"Phoenix? What kind of a name is that? Are you part of the Order of the Phoenix?" Ron blurts out.

Phoenix frowns and gives Ron a look that isn't entirely friendly. "Not as far as I am aware. By the little thought you put in before speaking and the fact that your hair is ginger, I assume you must be Ron," Phoenix replies, sounding more annoyed at this point. Ron looks away with a blush creeping up his cheeks that makes his face almost as red as his hair as he calls Phoenix a 'bloody git' under his breath.

Hermione carefully looks over Phoenix, Buckbeak, and Hagrid before she turns her sharp eyes back to the new arrival. "I thought Buckbeak already had a home," she says cautiously, not wanting to give away too much information. They are all well aware that Hagrid is notorious for trusting people before he really knows them and don't want to be fooled. She still very clearly remembers the dragon egg Hagrid won in their first year. "How did you get him?"

Phoenix smiles at her. "You must be Hermione Granger. I've heard a great deal about you." He says and kisses her hand before continuing as she begins to blush, "I became Buckbeak's caretaker after Hagrid placed him under my care. I am a professional hippogriff trainer and I provide a home for him when Hagrid had to move him off of the grounds a couple of years ago. The Ministry of Magic has finally agreed to permit Buckbeak back on the grounds this year. I thought I'd get him here now as I am also here for another reason. Better late than never, I always say," Phoenix says with a chuckle.

Hagrid also laughs. He turns to the trio before pointing to the horseless carriages. "You three better be getting inside."

The three of them climb into the last carriage and are taken along the path to Hogwarts. They all go into the school and rush into the Great Hall. They don't speak much about Phoenix. Both Harry and Hermione find it odd that he tried to lie to them in regards to Buckbeak when they clearly know the truth about Buckbeak's whereabouts in the last two years. Ron is still clearly upset about Phoenix's comments about him and continues muttering under his breath about how much he doesn't like the stranger. Regardless, Harry is glad to see that Buckbeak is back and hopes to ride him again. They all begin to wonder about the stranger and why he's at Hogwarts.

As usual, the teachers gather at the main table and Dumbledore introduces them. He also says that he has one more announcement and gestures to the four new additions at the end of the long table. There are two men and two women seated there. "In light of the return of the dark lord, Voldemort, I have decided that a bit of extra security is, indeed, a good idea. To assist with this, I have hired four guardians. They will each watch over one of the four houses and the students who call the dormitories home while they live here at Hogwarts.

"Our first guardian is a young gentleman who completed his schooling at Durmstrang. He was an exemplary student defender of those weaker than he. Phoenix will be guarding the Gryffindor dormitories.

"Secondly, we have Darius McCracken, a graduate of Hogwarts and former member of Slytherin. Mr. McCracken was well known for being very protective and upheld many of the schools rules while he was Head Boy in his seventh year with us.

"Next is our Ravenclaw guardian, Violet Jennison. Miss Jennison was a Prefect in her later years with us at Hogwarts and was also an example of the perfect student.

"And last, our Hufflepuff guardian, Florence Madera. Florence studied here with us as well and was a representative of the Hufflepuff house when she was a Prefect.

"Our guardians are here to protect each and every one of you and will be—"

A single _ahem_ interrupts Dumbledore and all eyes turn to a woman with a black bow in her hair. The entire hall falls silent as no one, ever, interrupted one of Dumbledore's speeches before. Even Dumbledore himself stares at her in surprise.

She smiles up at him and instantly, everyone in the hall hates her. "Excuse me, Headmaster, but I fail to see how this extra security pertinent to our students' studies. After all, as everyone knows, the Minister of Magic himself has declared that there is no threat."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchange a worried and confused look. They, like everyone else, are disturbed and worried by the words this new professor begins to speak and wonder who can and cannot be trusted at Hogwarts. After she finishes speaking, Dumbledore resumes control over the Welcome Feast and serves dinner. Once everyone is finished with the feast and begins going to their dormitories, Dumbledore asks Phoenix to come with him.

Upon entering Dumbledore's chambers he is greeted by Fawkes and Professor McGonagall, who both look directly at him. In the corner stands Professor Snape, who refuses to acknowledge the young man's presence.

"Young Phoenix, I'd like to thank you for coming," Dumbledore begins. "Obviously I know a great deal about you, which is why I have asked you to be here at Hogwarts this year," Dumbledore says.

"I had the feeling, Headmaster," Phoenix replies. "However, may I ask, what is the purpose for me being here?"

"You are very wise to question things. The answer is both simple as well as complex. You see, you are an extraordinary and well accomplished wizard, especially for being so young. Even though you aren't from Hogwarts, we still wanted you here, as your specialties are perfect for what we need of you. You are wise, knowledgeable, powerful, spirited and vastly accomplished. Not to mention, you were reported to be the top of your class in everything you studied. You're quite well known around the world, despite many people having never heard your name. We know that we can trust you with our most important task. This is not being just the watchman for Gryffindor. We have brought you here specifically to watch over Harry Potter. Protect him with your life. Just as you did Rose McGonagal," Dumbledore says.

Phoenix hangs his head in shame. He feels the words stab at him like a knife through his heart at the very mention of her name. He looks up at Dumbledore with pain in his features. "You mention her, but she was my biggest failure. I was supposed to protect her and I failed. Why would you bring me here for this? Are you sure that you want to task me with his protection? Are you not afraid that I'll let him be killed as well?"

Professor Snape steps forward for the first time since Phoenix entered the room. "Headmaster, clearly the boy doesn't think he is capable for this task. What is the point in keeping him here against his better judgement? Would you not rather have a watchman who feels he is capable of protecting your sacred cargo rather than a boy who is unsure of himself?"

Professor McGonagall steps in before Dumbledore has a chance to respond. "Severus, there are reasons for everything that happens in this world and Dumbledore trusts the boy. _I_ trust the boy despite what happened." She glances at Phoenix, who looks at the floor in shame, before she turns to Dumbledore.

"What happened to her was not anyone's fault except for the fault of those that killed her. Even the most powerful wizard cannot stand alone against six Death Eaters, while protecting a frightened young girl, and expect to survive without some casualties. We all know you have what it takes to protect him. That is your chosen task. That is why you are in Gryffindor. Please, do not argue or say no. It's your duty and destiny, young Phoenix. Minerva, will you please show young Phoenix to the dormitories," Dumbledore says. "Severus, please stay behind."

"Very well, Dumbledore," Phoenix replies, his voice flat and quiet.

Phoenix follows McGonagall to the Gryffindor hall, refusing to look at her more than he has to. The guilt he feels over his failure is haunting him still, though he tries desperately to pay attention as he's shown the full extent of where is to patrol; meaning where Harry's dormitory is. Phoenix begins patrolling up and down the hallway as McGonagall walks away without another word. As she turns the corner, she looks back at him. Phoenix meets her gaze for just a moment, and can't help but to notice the tears in her eyes. He sighs and turns his focus back to his patrol, going back and forth for the next hour and a half. Snape comes by at one point and watches Phoenix for a few minutes. Phoenix feels as though he is being held to a standard that he cannot possibly hope to reach, but in the end continues his duties, brushing Snape's presence off and walking away.

While on the east side of the hall Phoenix believes he sees a figure come out of a secret passage a few feet in front of him. He draws his wand and begins to follow the figure. He hears their footsteps and then points his wand at himself and says, "_Teleportis_." He then teleports and appears approximately three steps behind the figure, which turns out to be a man. He points his wand and quickly realizes that he is in front of Harry's dormitory. Suddenly the man turns to him, points his wand and shouts "_Impedimenta!_" knocking Phoenix back into the wall.

Phoenix quickly recovers and gets to his feet. He gets to the entry and realizes there are actually two men. He calls out to them, "Hey!" and they both turn and with their wands at the ready. Phoenix uses _Teleportis_ again and reappears in the room in front of the beds and shouts, "_Expelliarmus!_", disarming and knocking back the man on the left. He sees the man on the right point his wand at Harry, who is still miraculously still asleep despite the shouting, and begins to cast the Killing Curse, at which point Phoenix quickly points his wand at the man and shouts, "_Protego!_" reflecting the curse back at the man and knocking him unconscious.

When the other one gets up and grabs his wand, Phoenix points his wand at him and again shouts "_Expelliarmus!_" disarming him once more, followed by, "_Petrificus totalus!_" immobilizing the man and then one last flick of his wand he shouts, "_Mobilcorpus!_" suddenly lifting the would-be assassin in the air.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape arrive with their wands at the ready. They look around astonished that Harry and his roommates are still asleep. They look at the two assassins and at Phoenix.

"What happened here?" McGonagall asks, her face pale with shock and horror.

"Explain yourself quickly," Snape adds as Dumbledore simply surveys the result of the fight.

"Assassins," Phoenix pants. "I stopped them. They infiltrated and tried to kill Harry Potter."

Snape examines both of the assassins and discovers the Dark Mark on both of them. The unconscious one on the floor is alive but barely. Dumbledore takes over and levitates the other one away. Before they leave he thanks Phoenix. The rest of the night Phoenix sits against the wall. Confused about… everything….

While he sits against the wall, Harry opens his eyes and looks at Phoenix. Despite their belief that all of the students had remained asleep, Harry watched the encounter. Suddenly, it doesn't really matter to him that Phoenix lied to them on the platform. Suddenly, Harry realizes that it's okay to trust Phoenix.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Yes there will be lots of dialogue but it is important. I apologize now if it gets repetitive and drawn out.**_

_**The next morning!**_

The very moment Phoenix walks into the headmaster's office the next morning, Snape turns him around and stares him in the eye. "Do they teach every mistake that crosses the floors of Durmstrang to put the lives of others in danger simply so that they can show off skills that are menial at best?" he asks in a deadly calm voice.

Phoenix stares back at Snape with eyes that are black as pitch. "Do they teach every professor unworthy of teaching at Hogwarts to demean those chosen to protect its students simply because it makes you feel superior to them?" he replies. "I will not apologize for my actions in that dormitory. I saved the lives of the students located there."

Dumbledore clears his throat, causing both Snape and Phoenix to look at him instead of intensely stare at each other. Dumbledore gives them an annoyed smile but the sparkle never leaves his eyes. "Now that I have your attention, I'd like to have you both calm down. There is no need for an argument here. As a guardian of Gryffindor, you have done your job well, young Phoenix. I must say that I did not expect to need your services quite so soon in the year, but all is well. Let us simply be grateful Delores Umbridge has yet to hear of your actions.

Phoenix stares blankly at Dumbledore for a moment. "The pink nightmare that attempts to pass itself off as a woman from the Ministry of Magic?" he asks. He sees the amusement in Dumbledore's eyes heighten the sparkle in them. "And how does she remain unawares?"

"She was sleeping," Dumbledore simply replies. He then turns to Snape. "Severus, you have done well as a professor of this school and I certainly understand your concerns about the spells our young Phoenix chose to perform in order to save the lives of our students." Snape begins to don a triumphant look on his face, but it falls with Dumbledore's next word, "However," and Phoenix begins to smirk, "his methods worked with little to no collateral damage and the students remain oblivious to the attempted assassination."

Dumbledore's bright blue eyes turn to Phoenix once more. "The matter of Delores' presence in this castle is still one to keep in consideration when determining what our next steps should be," he said. "If she were to discover your course of action and the proximity to the students, she could take drastic measures. She is, after all, the one who convinced the Minister to put Harry on trial for using the Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle, despite the fact he was warding off two Dementors."

"So I may go to Azkaban for fulfilling duties last night?" Phoenix asks, feeling the gravity of the situation acutely.

"Certainly not, young Phoenix. I am taking every precaution to ensure that your actions and movements are kept well out of her site and away from her knowledge. But I must ask…the Protego counter you cast…were you aware of what you shielded and reflected?" Dumbledore asks.

Phoenix stares blankly for a moment as his thoughts go back to the fight he had mere hours ago. Drawing a blank, he replies, "No. Honestly I can say that I cannot recall the exact spell that I countered. I know that something was being cast and I instinctively countered it."

Dumbledore's face becomes gravely serious, yet the twinkle remains in his eyes. "You shielded Harry Potter from the Killing Curse. We have never seen such a thing happen. Until now, that has been believed to be…impossible," Dumbledore explains

"What do you mean?" Phoenix asks, unable to wrap his thoughts around Dumbledore's claims of his actions. As the rest of the world is concerned, it is impossible to block, counter, or reverse the Killing Curse.

"The only ones I have ever seen to possess abilities beyond the norm have been practitioners of the Dark Arts themselves," Snape coldly adds. His black eyes are accusing and frighteningly empty. Phoenix feels a chill creep along his spine, but refuses to show Snape any weakness.

"Not all, Severus," Dumbledore says, turning his eyes to the professor. "If you insist to continue on like this, I shall ask you to leave my office." Dumbledore turned back to Phoenix, "Now, young Phoenix, one of those men almost died. They would only tell me why they were sent under the influence of veritaserum, thus they have been sent to Azkaban. As for what you did, do you understand now the power you possess? I do not accuse you of the Dark Arts. Only the power you possess as a strong wizard! You have it in you to help fight back against the Ministry and stop the Dark Lord Voldemort. You have questioned why I have brought you to Hogwarts when you were never one of our students, as the other guardians were. I tell you this: I need to build an army and have them trained to fight Voldemort's forces. The only recruits we have unfortunately are the students of Hogwarts. I need your help to unite them under one cause and under one leader."

"Start an Army?" Phoenix asks in a state of shock. He shakes his head rapidly. "I thought I was to protect Harry Potter not start an army. Why not speak to him about it? Wouldn't he be better suited for this task? He'll just as soon listen to you before me won't he?"

Dumbledore holds up his hand to stop Phoenix's words. "I want this army lead by Harry, yes. You are quite right in saying that the children of this school will rally behind him before they dare listen to another. However, this idea _must_ come from a source outside of me. I must distance myself from Harry this year. I cannot explain exactly why, but please, do as I ask in this aspect. Yes, you are here to act as a guardian of the Gryffindor Tower, however that is not your only reason for being here.

"Help Harry assemble Dumbledore's Army while you protect him. You must help him train them. You are the only other wizard powerful enough to help him fight Voldemort. You are more powerful than the strongest Death Eaters. You must understand now that you are able to counter any spell cast and have ultimate control any magic you do. Accept this fact and get my army started and your next task will be granted," Dumbledore says and sends Phoenix off.

Phoenix leaves Dumbledore's office and heads back down to the hallways of Hogwarts. Once he gets to the hallways he sees Harry walking by and decides that this is a good opportunity to have another conversation with him. Phoenix moves to follow Harry, but quickly loses track of the young wizard as classes are let out. The hallway floods and Harry is lost with the tide, leaving Phoenix with no choice but to give the appearance of doing his job. As he heads to the Gryffindor Tower, he thinks hard about what Dumbledore told him and wonders where and how he can get Harry to assemble the army. He begins to desire somewhere to be alone and think while he paces in front of the same wall three times. Suddenly a door forms in the wall and opens to him.

Phoenix walks in only to see Dumbledore. He stands still for a moment confused. Dumbledore heads towards another door.

"You have found the Room of Requirement, young Phoenix. It is one of the finer secrets of Hogwarts that only reveals itself to those who walk in front of that wall three times while concentrating on what is desired. Well done, young Phoenix. Well done," he says before walking out of the room. Phoenix looks around and quickly realizes just how many people could fit in the space and that magic of all kinds can be done in there.

It is as Phoenix begins to leave that a mirror catches his eyes. He steps up to it and takes a long, hard look at himself. He sees the way his black hair frames his face as it falls out of his ponytail from the fight he has not fixed. As he looks at himself, he thinks about what it means to be a so-called _great_ wizard and wonders if he truly does have that quality inside of him. It is then that his reflection begins to speak to him:

"You need to discover who you are. Look into your past. Find your family. And most importantly, accept yourself for the wizard you know you are and have become with the abilities you possess! Don't forget you have your other tasks that you swore to uphold."

After hearing the words, Phoenix steps away from the mirror and quickly heads out of the room and into the hallway. Remembering that he is there with a personal agenda that will help the future of wizards and witches he sets out to find Harry and begin the task at hand Dumbledore's Army!


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Yes, the next chapter. Thank you for the follows, favorites and the reviews. Please if you're going to favorite and follow, Please also take the moments to leave a review. Thank You **_

_**There will be a lot of dialogue. Just giving you the heads up.**_

Phoenix is still looking around in the Room of Requirement and is still amazed with how the room is even bigger than the Great Hall. He sees all the statues that are definitely meant to have magic used on them for practice. The walls are a lighter, brighter brown than the rest of Hogwarts and beautifully colored and quiet floor as well as no windows. He also admires how bright the room is along with the torch light. As he sits down with a grin, he nods his head and tries to plot out his next move. His only problem though is that he is beginning to feel tired and puts his face in his hands as he says to himself out loud, "What I wouldn't give right now for a bed.

When he looks over he becomes surprised and baffled at the same time as he suddenly sees a bed. At the same he could care less at the moment as he lies down and shortly drifts off to sleep. He starts to dream. He is standing in front of someone in a corner with his wand drawn, an intense look in his eyes and his teeth bore in anger. The darkness begins to fade. Suddenly there are two masked Death Eaters.

He repeatedly flicks his wand and shouts, "_Stupify_," and "_Expelliarmus_," as they keep coming. Suddenly he's facing five of them and a sixth one hits him from behind. He looks up and sees her holding Rose McGonagall by the hair with a wand pointed at her.  
"Trying to keep this from us! Nice try, Phoenix! Or should I say Junior…" the voice is cut off when Phoenix wakes up screaming and sweating. He breathes hard for a little while as the feeling of fear still consumes him. A short while after he quickly composes himself.  
"When will these bloody nightmares end?" he asks himself and gets up.

He quickly leaves the Room of Requirement as he discovers there's no clock. As he leaves, he starts to try and figure out how to get Harry, Hermione or Ron to find the room without actually telling them to seek it out. Upon entering the hallway to Harry's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower, he realizes two classes have passed and that they are currently between classes.

Phoenix uses that time to begin gathering things that will help train Dumbledore's Army. He spends the next few weeks gathering tools, supplies, and other equipment necessary to help train the students. As he pulls the items together, he speaks to Dumbledore himself about the spells that he would like the students to learn. Within a matter of weeks, the Room of Requirement is ready to be used as a training facility for the students who will become the core of Dumbledore's Army.

As Phoenix begins to return to his duties as the watchperson of Gryffindor Tower he begins to notice various students holding their hands while crying. He sees bitter and angry looks toward Umbridge and quickly comes to the conclusion that she is behind their pain. A pair of younger students passes by in front of him, he stops them and takes their hands. He sees the words _I will not disobey the rules_ carved into their flesh and instantly becomes furious.

His black eyes turn red with fury and his hands begin to shake as they close into fists. He quickly turns and angrily heads towards Umbridge's office but is stopped halfway when Professor McGonagall appears in front of him.

"Is everything alright, Mr…." Professor McGonagall's voice trails off as she realizes that she doesn't know what Phoenix's last name is.

"There's no need for the Mister. You know me well enough to be on a first name basis with me, Minerva." Phoenix says.

"My apologies, Phoenix. Now please, what is the matter? Where are you off to in such a hurry and in such a fuss?" she asks with a note of concern in her voice.

"That pink nightmare from the Ministry has crossed a line!" Phoenix cries. "She's punishing students with an enchanted quill! It's carving the words into their hands! I just saw a number of students with their hands all carved up from it!"

Suddenly her eyes become wide with shock and anger, "She's done what? Are you sure?" she asks while trying to remain composed.

Still not looking at her and with disdain in his voice he replies, "Yes, I am sure. I have seen this before. Why don't you look at their hands?"

In a reassuring and calming tone she explains, "Very well, please, stay away from her and let us handle it. If you go storming in you risk raising suspicions, and Dumbledore has already made it clear that that is what we need to avoid right now."

With much reluctance he agrees, "Very well then, I shall attend to my duties," he replies with a bow and starts to walk away.

"Phoenix…" she says and gets him to stop and look back over his shoulder with a cold and regretful look before she continues, "I know that Rose was my niece, but you did what you could and there's no changing what happened. I do not blame you for what happened, so please stop blaming yourself. If not for me or yourself, do it for her. Good evening, Phoenix," she calmly says and goes on her way.

Phoenix looks down and around trying not to cry. Her words pierced his heart and though knowing he is forgiven brings a good feeling to him, at the same time he feels so guilty knowing that she was so willing to forgive a man who believes himself unworthy of it. After a few minutes he begins his patrol. As he walks by he sees Harry sitting in a room alone. He nods at him and continues on. Suddenly he hears Harry shout his name. He walks back and Harry looks around before waving him in. Phoenix looks away and smiles before enters the room with Harry and is happy to know that Harry is beginning to trust him.

"How can I be of service Harry?" Phoenix asks.

Harry sighs and looks uncomfortable for a moment. Finally he looks up at Phoenix. "Dumbledore trusts you, right?" he asks.

Phoenix sighed as he sits down next to Harry on the floor. "I would say that Dumbledore trusts me as much as he trusts anyone," he says with a note of caution in his voice.

Harry nods in understanding. "Has he ever spoken to you about me?" he asks.

Phoenix gives Harry a curious look. "How do you mean?"

Harry sighs. "Dumbledore has been a bit distant with me," he says. "I know it's probably nothing for me to worry about in regards to all of the things he has to do with his time, but I would think that after everything that's happened in the last four years here that he would…_trust_ me. Instead, I feel like I'm being ignored."

Phoenix slowly nods. "That would be a bit disheartening," he said. "What makes you think he's ignoring you?"

Harry sighs again. "I don't know," he honestly replies. "I just feel…" Harry's voice fades as he tries to find the words to explain the way he feels he's been treated. "I feel like he doesn't trust me. He doesn't even seem to want to look at me."

"He cares for you, Harry," Phoenix says. "I do believe that he also trusts you."

Harry slowly nods. "Maybe," he says. He starts wringing his hands and Phoenix sees the scars on Harry's hand.

"She's gotten to you as well?" Phoenix asks.

Harry looks at the back of his hand where the words _I must not tell lies_ are clearly carved. "Yeah," he muttered. "Ron and Hermione are trying to convince me that I should start teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts classes because I'd be better at it than Umbridge. Honestly, they're probably right, but I really don't like the thought of getting up in front of a bunch of people and teaching them. I mean, the stuff I know _could_ potentially save someone's life—it's done it for me more than once, but I just…"

Phoenix realizes that this is probably the best opportunity that he'll have to chime in. "I think you should go for it," he says. "Your classmates all trust you and everyone admires the fact that you're the Boy Who Lived."

Harry scoffs. "They don't trust me," he says bitterly. "Most of them are afraid of me these days…"

Phoenix sighs. "Look, Harry, at some point, you're not going to have a choice but to stand up and fight these things. At that point, people are either going to respect you or fear you. Trust me when I say that it's never easy to stand up and fight, but in the end, it's the only way you can live with yourself."

Harry slowly nods. "I'm still thinking about it to be honest," he says. "I just hope Umbridge only lasts this one year…"

"I don't think she'll be here much longer. I assume the Ministry will want the staff to play along with whatever their scheme is and once they do, we'll be rid of that pink troll," he replies.

"If I ask you a question will you be honest with me?" Harry asks seeming serious but reluctant

Starting to feel scared but hiding it "By all means," is Phoenixes reply

"Did Dumbledore hire you to keep an eye on me?" Harry asks. "I mean, it seems to me that since you've arrived, you've watched me closely. Except for when I'm in classes you haven't really let me out of your sight. I know Dumbledore talked to you your first night. So please, just tell me what is really going on?"

Phoenix looks forward, wondering if he's been caught before his mission has truly begun. Carefully he nods. "Technically, yes, Dumbledore hired me to keep an eye on you. It isn't _just_ you that I've been hired to look after. Your entire tower is mine to keep and protect. You are the one I look after most because of your past. I know it doesn't do you justice to essentially profile you, but even you have to agree that your time here at Hogwarts has been a bit…chaotic."

Harry sighs as he nods his head. "I can't exactly argue with you," he replied. "I have one other question, if I may…"

Phoenix nods. "Of course," he replies.

"You have Buckbeak," Harry slowly begins. "Does this mean that you know Sirius Black? He's the last person I knew who had him."

"Right you are. I knew him for a few years when I was a child." Phoenix sighs before he looks at Harry. "You see, no one knows this, but I don't know who my parents are," he confesses. Harry's eyes widen at the realization that he's no longer the only one he knows in that predicament. "I was found abandoned in Diagon Alley by a large man with a giant beard, or so I've been told. He took me to the Black family. Kreature tried to throw me away when I was an infant but they decided to keep me instead. Sirius did everything he could to remind me that I didn't have to be like his family. After he ran away, they sent me to live with cousins who put me in school at Durmstrang because they were tired of dealing with my idealistic views of life.

"When I heard that Sirius had been sent to Azkaban for the murder of his best friend and twelve Muggles, I didn't believe it. No one knows this and I trust you not to say anything, but I'm actually the one who helped him escape Azkaban. I stayed with Sirius once he got out until I came here."

"He never told me about you," Harry says.

"I know. We talked about it. It was for the purpose of the Ministry of Magic not accusing me of anything after he escaped. He said it was important for me to work at Hogwarts and meet you and now I know why. It's because you're his godson and we are so much alike, Harry. The only difference is I still don't know who my parents are or were. You at least know you had parents who even now, in death, love you. Don't you ever forget that Harry," Phoenix explains.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix. That can't be easy."

"I accepted it a long time ago, Harry." Phoenix sighs before he continues speaking. "I'm here to protect the godson of my mentor as tasked to me by the greatest wizard I have ever had the privilege of meeting, and I will do so until you are no longer in danger," Phoenix says and shakes Harry's hand. "Though somehow I don't believe that'll be any time soon."

With that, Phoenix leaves Harry to his own devices and goes about his patrol with nothing out of the ordinary happening. All Phoenix can do now is figure out how to convince Harry to agree to teaching the students. He won't use magic because in his mind that's not right. He looks behind him and sees that Filch is following him around. He teleports himself up to the Room of Requirement and promptly falls asleep on the bed the room provides him shortly after entering.

The next morning, Phoenix sits at the Headmasters Table with the other watchpersons. While waiting for Harry to come out, he figures that it's been too long and finally introduces himself to the other watch people. He meets Darius McCracken who is the watchman for Slytherin; Violet Jenison, who is the watchman of Ravenclaw; and Florence Madera who is the watchwoman of Hufflepuff. Upon shaking hands with Florence he notices that she shyly looks away with a smile and her red hair covering her face to hide her blushing cheeks. Phoenix lets a smile start to take over his face before they hear McGonagall and Umbridge arguing in the hall.

He follows Harry and the others out into the hallway where he hears the end of the argument.

"Pardon me, Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge demands.

Minerva coldly stares up at her on the staircase. "I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices."

Umbridge takes a step backwards, up the staircase. _"_So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores, merely your medieval methods."

"I am sorry, dear, but to question my practices is to question the Ministry, and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

"Disloyalty?" Minerva asks in utter shock as she takes a step backward, down the stairs, giving back the feet that she gained earlier in the argument.

Umbridge steps forward, regaining the territory. _"_Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared."

Umbridge looks directly at Phoenix who just stands and glares back at her. He walks up to McGonagall and puts his hand on her shoulder. She looks back and he just nods at her. They head back to the Great Hall to eat. The rest of the day goes on with lots of tension and low spirits.

A few days later Umbridge is named the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Phoenix does everything he can to avoid her. She begins to have ridiculous rules and decrees put on the wall and starts questioning and investigating the staff including the watchmen. Phoenix manages to avoid her by hiding in the Room of Requirement.

That Friday Umbridge is watching in on Sybil Trelawney's class. She starts demanding a prophecy. When Sybil can't give her one to her satisfaction, she fires her in front of her next incoming class and then expels her from the premise. When Sybil tells her "Please, you can't do this!" Umbridge replies with, "I work on behalf of the Ministry, I can do whatever I see fit!"

Phoenix has heard enough and grabs Neville by the arm and Neville shouts, "Owe!"

"Longbottom, go get Dumbledore right now! Tell him what just happened! Go!" Phoenix tells him with a shove and without asking questions, Neville runs quickly down the hallway.

Phoenix steps into the room where Sybil is crying and Umbridge simply is saying,  
"Crying won't do you any good. Only delay your departure. Please leave the premise now and be quick."

"Enough, Umbridge! You have no right to treat these people the way you have been, nor do you have the authority to make such decisions like you just did! Stop abusing your power!" Phoenix shouts with such intensity that once again turns his black eyes red.

"On behalf of the ministry I have…" She tries to drum on before being cut off by Phoenix

"I don't care what authority you think you have! This is wrong! You are abusing your authority and I will see to it that you are investigated and removed from the Ministry! Go ahead, threaten me! Your threats mean nothing! If this rubbish isn't enough, the way you treat the students will suffice!" He shouts and starts to head off.

Umbridge simply replies with a smile on her face, "We shall see, Phoenix. We shall see."

Phoenix sees Dumbledore coming and knows that he's got everything taken care of. Phoenix goes to the nearest fireplace. He runs up to the fire pit and summons Sirius. Suddenly Sirius' face appears in the fire.

"Phoenix, how is everything my boy?" Sirius asks.

"Not good. The Ministry has this place under strict surveillance except this room. So carefully in fact that I don't have any way to make Harry agree to forming Dumbledore's Army!" Phoenix replies.

"That is a problem. That is what the Order was recently instructed to do. Never fear my boy. I'll take care of it. I have an idea." Sirius says.

"How so?" Phoenix asks

"Don't worry about that. Just worry about your next task," Sirius answers.

"What is that?" Phoenix asks.

"What is it that I told you is to be your personal agenda?" Sirius asks.

"Of course. I remember now. Do you feel the time is right?" Phoenix asks

"Better time than any," Sirius replies.

"Someone's coming. Goodbye, my friend," Phoenix says.

Suddenly Snape walks into the room and looks at him.

"You're either very smart or very stupid, Phoenix. Either way the ministry will now have their eyes on you," Snape says.

"A risk that I had to take!" Phoenix replies.

"Very well then. By the way… Phoenix… I set forth in motion for Miss Granger to stand in front of a particular wall and pace three times and think of what she needs. I would hope you'll be there in two hours' time." Snape says as he walks away.

Phoenix looks around confused before teleporting himself to the common room. He sees Hermione by herself now. He just says, "Better time than any," as he tries to find the words to use to talk to her.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you all for continuing to read and thank you Leiria for the shout out. Please folks also check out Leiria's Harry Potter stories. Especially "Twist Of Fate" That is a hell of a story and I am enjoying it thus far. Once again, please if you favorite and follow this story, also be kind enough to leave a review. I really would like to know what you all think so I can change and or continue to improve this story.**_

"Good evening, Hermione," Phoenix says as he sits down on one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione, who had been reading one of her many school books, looked up in surprise.

"Oh," she says with wide eyes. She chuckles and blushes slightly. "Good evening, Phoenix. What brings you to the common room?"

"I always come here a few hours before my duties as the Gryffindor Watchman begin. I like to observe the other students while I wait or gather my thoughts," he replies with the first excuse he can come up with while miraculously keeping composure.

Hermione gives him a mildly doubtful look. He knows she pays enough attention to the goings on in the common room to know that he is out of his normal pattern. "I never see you here at this time," she thoughtfully tells him. "It's only six o'clock. You're exceptionally early tonight," she says. Phoenix makes a mental note of how observant she is and wondered how difficult it would be to convincingly lie to her.

"That I am," Phoenix replies with a chuckle. "I'm actually hiding from Filch tonight. Something about him gives me the creeps and I've never actually seen him in any of the dormitories unless he needs to repair something that can't be quickly repaired with magic. I figured I'd be safe here. Aren't you usually with Harry right about now?" he asks, letting her know that he can be just as observant as she is.

Hermione sighs. "Yes, usually," she replies. "I wasn't going to go looking for him just yet, although I do need to actually go talk to Harry," she says. Phoenix can see that she's still curious about his presence in the common room, but she's willing to brush it off temporarily.

Phoenix smiles. "You two are rather amazing friends," he says. "It's easy to see how much you both care about each other, though I don't think either of you quite realize just how much you care. Unless you just aren't telling anyone…" Phoenix says, letting his words trail off, implying what his thoughts are without actually voicing them.

Hermione ducks her head in order to hide the fact that she is blushing as she says "Harry and I are meeting to discuss our assignments and the upcoming O.W.L.s What has you so suddenly interested in personal affairs?" she sarcastically asks while trying to hide a grin.

"I merely inquire. Though if I didn't know any better, I'd say you do fancy him judging by the grin on your face," he says.

Hermione blushes and looks away again, "Of course not," she says with a sadness in her eyes that tells Phoenix more than she will ever voice. "We're friends. Nothing more." She closes her book with a snap and meets his gaze. "Not that it's any of your business, of course."

Phoenix smirked. "So you fancy Ron Weasley then?" he jokes.

Hermione's eyes widen in shock as she gasps. "Eww! No! Never!" she cries as she glares at Phoenix who puts his hands up apologetically. After a moment, she sighs in exasperation. "You seem awfully interested in my romantic life. Why?" she asks.

Phoenix smiles at her. "I just see the way you and Harry are around each other. The way you get along so well and how well your personalities complement each other. You look at him differently from the others. It's obvious he fancies you," Phoenix answers.

"You think so?" she asks trying not to let him hear the unmistakable gleam of hope in her voice.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said what I did," he answers with a kind smile.

Hermione looks away again and smiles warmly. It's obvious that she's lost in her own thoughts of Harry. When she sees Phoenix leaving the room she quickly catches up to him and she walks with him for a few minutes before anything is said.

"So you went to Durmstrang, right?" she asks.

Phoenix was quiet for a moment before responding. "I did," he replied, tight lipped.

"Did you ever visit after you graduated?" she prods, hoping to get more information out of him.

Phoenix sighs because talking about Durmstrang isn't one of his favorite subjects. "When I could I did," he crisply replies. "I would go back and give lectures from time to time. I turned down the offer to be a professor as teaching is not for me."

"Did you know Viktor Krum?" Hermione quickly asks.

Phoenix stops for a moment before he nods and continues walking. "I've met him a few times. He has a bright mind and talked about you quite fondly once he returned to Durmstrang. He's a brilliant athlete, though if he properly applied his dedications, he could be much more than just a Quidditch player."

"Oh?" Hermione asks. "He didn't talk much while he was here. He spent more of his time watching me study," she says with a chuckle. "It was quite annoying, actually…"

Phoenix chuckles. "That's not surprising." He sighs, ready for a change in the subject. "So tell me what it is you and Harry are really up to? I know you both have something up your sleeves. I can be just as observant as you," he says.

Phoenix stops walking and leans against the wall opposite of the Room of Requirement. He watches as Hermione begins to pace back and forth in front of the wall in agitation. He can tell that she's thinking about something important and he's very sure he knows what's on her mind. Before she can begin speaking, Harry comes walking toward them. He stops walking a few feet away and seems taken aback that Phoenix is standing there. He says hello to Hermione and asks why Phoenix is there.

"We were talking," Hermione replies. "I wasn't even paying attention to where we were walking."

"Does Phoenix know?" Harry asks as he tries to work out in his head how they were where Mad Eye told him to be.

"No," Hermione answers with a quick shake of her head.

"Does Phoenix know about what?" Phoenix asks as he tries to play dumb.

"We might as well tell him, Hermione," Harry says, glancing sideways at Phoenix while trying not to completely exclude him from the conversation.

"Can he be trusted?" Hermione asks cautiously.

"He's still standing right here…." Phoenix says, beginning to feel annoyed that they were continuing to talk about him as though he couldn't hear them.

Harry sighs as he gives Hermione a look that clearly states that he can't believe that she just asked that question. "Obviously, Hermione," he says with a note of annoyance in his voice. "You saw as well as I did that he stood up for Professor Trelawney to Umbridge."

With a sigh and a nod, Hermione agrees with Harry and begins to fill Phoenix in on their mission to start Dumbledore's Army. Phoenix tells them how he believes it to be a great idea. Harry hears Snape coming and tells Hermione and Phoenix to get the students willing to fight to meet at Hogs Head in the village. He runs to head off Snape.

Shortly thereafter, Hermione begins to think of where she Harry can train so many people without drawing attention to them. She keeps in mind that they need plenty of space, security, and tools in order to learn everything that they need in order to fight the impending doom. She paces in front of the wall three times and the Room of Requirement opens up for her. Her eyes light up and she knows exactly where they are.

"The Room of Requirement! This is perfect!" she happily says.

"From what you say, he is in charge and must decide on his own. Suggest it though. Give him options. Only tell him when the time is right. He needs time for everything to sink in. Plus, if you wait, Umbridge will be none the wiser. Head to bed, Hermione. You're going to have a lot of long days ahead of you. As do we all." Phoenix says.

After Hermione heads to her dormitory, Phoenix starts to patrol the halls and discovers that Filch has posted more decrees. He shakes his head and turns around to see Florence. He smiles at her and she smiles back before she heads off quickly. Phoenix decides that he wants a chance to talk to her, so he quickly follows. Once he turns the corner, however, he's greeted by the cold, callous voice of Severus Snape.

"Phoenix," Snape says.

Phoenix sighs before he grits his teeth and responds with the best ounce of professionalism he can muster. "Severus," he replies.

"Are you not supposed to be on patrol?" Snape asks.

Phoenix glares at Snape for a moment. "Are you not supposed to be in the dungeons with your nose in your cauldrons?" he asks. Before Snape could respond, Phoenix says, "By the way, Miss Granger found what you sent her to find."

Snape gives Phoenix a look that mixes a slight confusion with his hatred. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," he drawls.

Phoenix gave Snape a look of confusion. "You told me that you sent her to find something and hinted that I be there when she does," he slowly replies. "Don't you remember?"

Snape's black eyes narrow on Phoenix. "Clearly, you have me mistaken for someone else. Return to your duties at once," he instructs before quickly walking away with his black robes billowing out behind him as usual.

Phoenix stands confused for a bit before letting it go. He then waits for a little bit hoping that Florence will come back, when she doesn't he goes about his patrol and awaits the next day. Many hours pass and that night he doesn't sleep. He leaves Harry a note saying that he will be waiting at Hogs Head for them and will have it reserved. He steps outside the grounds at sunrise and Apparates to Hogs Head so that Hermione can spread the word.

That morning, he sees several students arrive and wait. Shortly after Harry, Hermione and, reluctantly, Ron arrive. They explain they need an army against Umbridge and the Ministry because they need to be able to defend themselves against Voldemort and the real dark arts and they need to ban together. After sharing stories of Harry's accolades and that he knows the Patronum Charm. The students ask why Phoenix doesn't teach them.

Phoenix sighs before replying, "Harry knows better defenses than I am against this sort of thing. I can help as I know the spells but I'm no leader for this matter. Harry has seen more than I could ever dream or much less imagine in my lifetime. If I trust anyone to ensure that you're taught the right way, it's Harry."

With that the students rally and sign up for Dumbledore's Army. As they head back talks of where to train are brought up. Phoenix can't believe his eyes and ears when Hermione forgets to mention the Room of Requirement because she is overly excited about breaking the rules. Phoenix gets ahead of the group and hears Hermione say, "At least one positive thing came from today."

He turns around and sees not a smile but a smirk on her face and then Harry blankly ask "What's that?" Phoenix holds back his laughter when Hermione says with that same jealous smirk, "Cho couldn't take her eyes off you could she?" With that he walks a little further ahead to let out a chuckle. Before he could say anything, Hermione glances at him, looks the other way and stomps on his foot telling him "Not! A! Word!" she hisses.

Three days later, after class, Phoenix sees Neville discover the Room of Requirement and offers to wait in it so that Neville can get the group. 'Not the desired person but it'll do,' Phoenix thinks to himself since the decrees just won't stop. The day after, Harry has the trainees arrive to the room. Harry decides Phoenix will decide what spells they need to learn and he'll teach them. Phoenix has Harry start them with _Expelliarmus_. Phoenix decides Neville will go first in all the training.

The first day Neville keeps losing his wand every time he goes up. Phoenix comments by saying with a chuckle, "Well, we can all certainly dodge with perfection now. This is handy to know too. Some situations, your wand is useless."

In between training and duties, Phoenix finds ways to head off Filch and helps Fred and George get the better of him and Umbridge. This angers Umbridge intensely. Phoenix has every student duel him to see which of them have gotten better with _Expelliarmus_. It's another week before all of them can disarm him or Harry.

In the following week they are learning _Stupify_. They decide to let Nigel go first. To Phoenix surprise, Nigel did well his first try and so did Neville. Phoenix also discovers that more of Harry's attention is on Hermione though Cho has her eyes on Harry. To no surprise, Hermione is exceeding expectations. The one that shocks Phoenix the most is when Luna gets _Stupify_ on him first and blows him back five feet, knocking him unconscious.

He discovers a hitch when Umbridge is questioning the students that Filch is reporting to be "hanging around" with Harry. But he doesn't know who or how she's asking. She has had him banned from that hallway and Snape makes sure to enforce it. All he knows is that he doesn't have a good feeling about the questioning or the inquisitorial squad. This prompts him and Harry to start working on two spells a week. The next ones are _Levicorpus_ and _Reducto_. They realize everyone needs to have them down before Christmas Break in two weeks and Neville still can't get _Expelliarmus_ down.

The practices are getting harder because Harry can't take his eyes off of Hermione and at the same time is starting to accept Cho's advances. Phoenix is also guilty because he catches himself wondering if he'll ever get to talk to Florence or not. They press on and push hard.

On the final day before they are to leave for Christmas Break, the trainees are more fluent with the spells and Neville finally gets _Expelliarmus_ down. Harry announces that they will reconvene after Christmas Break. Phoenix tells them to practice the best they can, even if it's just the words and motions.

As everyone is leaving the Room of Requirement, Phoenix stays behind to gather up a few things. He sees Hermione stop next to the door and stand waiting. Harry goes over to the mirror where Cho is standing and starting to cry. Phoenix sees Hermione stiffen up while Harry talks to Cho because Cho is starting to advance on Harry. She's watching to see what happens. Phoenix sees mistletoe starting to drape down.

He looks around, lifts up his wand and quietly says, "_Wingardium Leviosa_." Suddenly the mistletoe stops and he brings it over to himself before he puts it in his pocket, saying to himself, "Save that for later!" Eventually, Cho stares at Harry awkwardly and says, "Happy Christmas, Harry," and leaves. Harry is still standing dumbfounded until Hermione walks up to him.

She says, "Merry Christmas, Harry." He jumps startled a moment and replies, "Merry Christmas, Hermione."

She gives him a hug and then looks at him. Harry looks back at her and the look into each other's eyes for a few moments. Then they, with noticeable reluctance, let go of each other and leave the room one two minutes after the other. Phoenix looks around, sighs and then leaves the Room of Requirement. Before he gets to the stairs suddenly he hears a voice ask, "So you managed to find the Room of Requirement and start training Dumbledore's Army?" He stops and turns around.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: This Chapter is mostly conversations and about what Phoenix is doing after everyone leaves for Christmas Break. Please remember, based in the MOVIE UNIVERESE and many things I am changing and or fixing**__** So there are and will be MANY things differing from the movies. Also, I have not yet read the books as I have not yet had the time to get them.**_

_**Please Enjoy and Please Don't Just Favorite and Follow, Leave A Review Too :)**_

Phoenix stops in his tracks upon hearing the question asked about Dumbledore's Army and the Room of Requirement. He stands in place for a minute as he hears not his heart beating in his ears and light footsteps approach him. The voice behind him is gentile and the kind of familiar that reminds one of a dream. He turns around and discovers that it's Florence Madera. He stands in awe of her and her beauty. He has never seen a woman as attractive as her before. She is five feet and six inches tall and perfectly thin, generally pale skin, sparkling green eyes and long, bright red hair.

"Not much for talking, Phoenix?" she says jokingly with a smile.

"My apologies, I do talk. I just wasn't expecting…you know?" he stammers.

"That's alright. So have you managed to find the Room of Requirement and start training Dumbledore's Army?" she repeats.

"Yes," Phoenix cautiously replies.

"In the Room of Requirement right? Did Hermione Granger find it?" she asks

"How do you know all of this?" he asks, suspicious of her questions. As far as he is concerned, no one has spoken of Dumbledore's Army to anyone not a part of it. To have someone completely uninvolved ask questions like these did more than a little to unnerve him.

She smiles and steps closer to Phoenix, looking into his eyes, "You may not have noticed, but even though this school is large, well-guarded, and has secrets of its own, the walls made of stone have a tendency to…talk, for lack of a better word, to those who know how to listen," she says, causing Phoenix to turn his attention to the walls.

As he looks around, he realizes the sheer number of paintings in the corridors. In the months he's been at Hogwarts he's only primarily been down in the Great Hall, outside some of the class rooms and the Gryffindor Tower dorm hallways. He never took the time to stop and notice the paintings before or explore the school. He then remembers that paintings are one of the most-used forms of surveillance since they do have their subject's intelligence. He smiles and thinks to himself: _Merlin's beard, this place truly never fails to surprise._ He then takes a moment to think of what else she said to him.

"Wait a minute, how did you know that Hermione was sent to find the Room of Requirement and that I was sent to go with her?" he demands.

Florence smiles and looks down and then back at him before she answers, "During my time here at this school I was an expert in potions. I particularly enjoy brewing Polyjuice Potion," she says with a wink.

He smiles and looks around for a moment as it all makes sense to him now.

"It was you disguised as Snape. You're helping us to fight the Ministry and prepare for the fight against the Dark Lord," he says.

She just smiles and nods her head.

"Why?"

"If you'll recall, when Dumbledore introduced us, he did say that I was a Prefect for Hufflepuff when I was at school here. This is my real home. I would die to protect it if it came to that. If I can help you by slipping in a few hints, then I will gladly do so," she says.

"That's very loyal of you Florence. I wish I had come here back in my school years, instead of that Durmstrang. This school seems so much more relaxed and fun to be in than Durmstrang ever was. There, everything is cold and dreary, whereas warmth can be found here."

"What matters now is that you're here and helping us to defend this school. You're doing an excellent job from what I hear. The rumors are true; you really are quite a gifted wizard. We were told about how you countered the Killing Curse with _Protego_. Not very many wizards in the world are capable of such a feat," she says

"I'm becoming more confident in my abilities. I'm still just not all that sure that I'm as great-"

"You are a great wizard!" Florence cries, cutting him off. "If Dumbledore sees it, then you know it's true! What are you afraid of, Phoenix? What is it that makes you doubt yourself? Is it something you're afraid of or is it something else? It is saddening to see you doubting yourself." she says.

"That, my dear Florence, is a story for another time. It's a long and a rather unpleasant story," he replies.

She stays quiet for a moment before she nods at him in understanding. They start to walk to the stairs while they talk. The pictures start "ooing and aweing," softly singing childish songs, and making fun of Phoenix and his "girlfriend." Phoenix looks back and points his wand to a suit of armor and they all stop. They don't want to hear it sing.

The next thing Phoenix and Florence know, they are standing in front of the Great Hall and still talking. They walk around the entryway for a little bit, talking about their favorite spells to use and their favorite subjects at their respective schools. Shortly after, they get quiet for a few minutes. More so, they are trying to get over the awkwardness that comes with a lull in a first conversation. Florence can feel it coming from him and it is starting to strongly overwhelm her.

"So where are you going or what might you be doing for Christmas break?" she asks.

"I received an owl on Monday from Hagrid requesting that, while he is away, I watch over and make myself at home in his hut. So I suppose I'll be staying there for the time being," Phoenix replies.

"Do you not have family or someone to visit?" she asks.

"Not at this time. I am letting the man who mentored me spend much needed and missed time with his godson. Which he's very understanding and appreciative of."

"Since there is nothing going on and no patrols, would you like to go to Hogsmeade Village?" she asks with a flirtatious smile.

"For what?" he asks somewhat confused and not at all understanding what she is hinting at

She laughs and replies, "No, would you like to go to Hogsmeade Village with me. Hangout and perhaps get a few things and let me show you around."

"That would be quite splendid." he replies with a smile and a warm feeling of making a new friend in the most beautiful woman he has ever met.

"Meet me in the courtyard in twenty minutes." she says and heads off with a giggle.

Phoenix heads to the room he's been staying in to get some money and then points his wand around the room saying, "_Pack._" He watches everything pack itself up. He knows he'll be back for it after he gets back from Hogsmeade with Florence. He suddenly realizes that he doesn't have the first clue about women. He realized long ago that Sirius was never one to take advice from about just one woman. He calms himself as he puts on his black cloak with the purple lining, holsters his wand and leaves the room.

Upon arriving to the courtyard, Phoenix sees Florence and she starts jumping up and down with excitement when she sees him. He walks up to her and they head off. She first shows him where the Post Office is. After that she takes him to Zonko's Joke Shop. For a few hours they play around with some of the pranks and look around. He buys some hiccup sweets and a nose biting teacup.

The next place she takes him is to Honeyduke's Sweetshop. She is really excited to take him there. "You're in for quite the treat, Phoenix. And I do mean that literally," she says. When they walk in, Phoenix is amazed with all the sweets beyond his wildest imagination. Florence has him try all different kinds. He is quite fond of the Cauldron Cakes, Peppermint Toads, Licorice Wands, Fizzing Whizzbees, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and Sugar Quills. He ends up buying some Cauldron Cakes, Sugar Quills, Licorice Wands, and honey-colored toffees and a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. After they leave he pulls out the bag of jelly beans and is excited but nervous about trying them because he's never had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He opens the bag and offers one to Florence who immediately turns it down and says, "I heard someone once got Vomit Flavor. That's a risk I'm not willing to take." He gives her a chuckle, takes a deep breath and puts it in his mouth. After one chew he looks up with a smile and says, "Hey, Finger Nail!" They share a laugh and she decides to go into another store. Phoenix hangs back and she tries to get him go with her. He tells her he's going to catch up and will be right there. He waits for her to go to Madam Puddifoot's before he heads to Galdrag's Wizardwear and purchases her a beautiful brown cloak with red outlining and then he heads to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. He purchases her an enchanted quill that will write down what she wants to say when she can't put it into words, some blank parchments and then a special enchanted parchment that he has inked a letter onto for her and will reveal itself when she's ready and says the password. He heads over to Miss Puddifoot's and meets back up with Florence. She smiles and with a laugh says, "About time, Phoenix." He smiles and pulls out some bags from under his cloak. He hands them to her. "Happy early Christmas," he says with a smile. Florence takes the packages with surprise. "Thank you, Phoenix." She opens the cloak first and almost cries. She puts it on right away and pulls it around herself as she looks at her reflection in the window. She then opens the quill and the parchments. Phoenix explains them and what they are enchanted with. Then he explains the fanciest parchment and says, "I want, when you're alone tonight and ready, to look at the parchment and say, _Gryffinpuff_." She smiles and agrees. Suddenly confetti is thrown at them by Golden Cherubs which makes them laugh. They enjoy some tea and cakes while they talk and get to know each other. They find out that they are both the same age, Twenty-five years old, don't really have any family and both excelled in school and then that she is clumsy when she accidentally spills her tea. Phoenix tries not to laugh at loud. Phoenix cleans up the spilled tea, laughing while he does. Florence cleans herself off and is brought more tea. She goes to sit down and misses her chair. Phoenix runs over and helps her up. This time he is laughing and she blushes. "Why are you laughing at me?" she asks embarrassed. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the situation. "No, you're laughing at me," she says with a bit of a chuckle. They look at each other for a moment before helps her back into her chair. "What do you like best about being the guardian of Hufflepuff?" he asks. "I like most knowing that I'm protecting those students and the dormitories I spent my greatest seven years in that school by using my skills if necessary. I already know that yours is that you are allowed to Apparate within Hogwarts. How are you able to get around the rules on that?" she replies. "Actually, I'm not. I'm using a spell called _Teleportis_ that I spent two years perfecting. When the Founders decided that one could not Apparate within Hogwarts, they never specified that a person could not use some other type of spell to move about the castle. The difference between Apparating and using _Teleportis_ is that you can only teleport so far and you cannot go anywhere that you haven't been unless you can see it or have teleported there before. Since there are those distinct differences, I was granted permission to teleport throughout Hogwarts." "Teach me sometime?" she asks. "Perhaps. We'll have to see where our friendship goes," he jokes with a flirtatious smile. An hour later they finish their tea and cakes. After they pay, Phoenix walks her back to her room. "This was a very fun day. Thank you for the gifts, Phoenix. They mean a lot to me," she says "Thank you for showing me Hogsmeade. It means more than you know. I'm glad to have a new friend. You are the nicest person I have ever met," he replies Florence leans over and gives him a hug. He hugs her back and pulls the mistletoe out of his pocket levitates it above their heads. She looks up and giggles. He looks back her. "You're a great person, very funny, and a brilliant wizard. You aren't very clever though," she says with another giggle as she kisses him on the cheek and goes into her room. He just laughs as he puts the mistletoe back into his pocket and then heads off to Hagrid's to reflect on the day and figure what he'll be doing for two weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

Three days into Christmas Break, Phoenix has just sat down after feeding all of Hagrid's animals as per the carefully, but horribly written, instructions that he left behind. He lights the fire place and sits back. He wonders if Florence has said the words and listened to the letter he had the quill write out for him. Suddenly Sirius appears in the fire, much to Phoenix's surprise.

"Phoenix. How are you?" Sirius asks.

"I'm fine, Sirius. I enjoyed a wonderful day with a great friend a few days ago," Phoenix replies.

"That's good to hear, Phoenix. I knew you'd make friends in no time." Sirius pauses before giving Phoenix a knowing look. "I know that tone," he slowly says. "Your new friend is a woman, isn't she? Someone is in love," Sirius jokes with a hearty laugh. "I knew I'd rub off on you eventually!"

Phoenix laughs. "Stop!" he says through the laughter. "She's a friend, Sirius. I'm not going to argue that I would like her to be something _more_ than that, but that may be something she's not yet ready for. I did spoil her, though, for Christmas," he says as he tries to hide the fact that a blush was creeping up on his face.

The face of Sirius just laughs before continuing, "Anyway, I'm sorry to put a damper on your Christmas Break, but this is a matter of business. We need to come down to Grimmauld Place. It is rather urgent…"

"By 'we', I assume you mean the Order?" Phoenix asks.

"Yes," Sirius replies.

"Thank you for not summoning me on Christmas, Sirius," Phoenix sarcastically jokes. "How soon do you need me there?"

"Well…as soon as possible," Sirius replies and disappears into the embers.

Phoenix puts out the fire and goes outside. He whistles and waits for a minute as Buckbeak flies down and lands in front of him. He bows to Buckbeak and Buckbeak bows back.  
"Let's go to Grimmauld Place, my friend. I imagine you would like to see Sirius as well wouldn't you?" he asks as he climbs up on Buckbeak after feeding him a dead ferret. Buckbeak nods happily before he flies off and takes Phoenix to Grimmauld Place in less than an hour.

When they arrive, Sirius is waiting for them with a smile. He gives Phoenix a hug and is muzzled by Buckbeak. After petting Buckbeak and feeding him a ferret, Sirius leads Phoenix inside with a smile and a laugh.

"What's so urgent Sirius?" Phoenix asks.

"Don't worry Phoenix, its important enough for you to come out here on such short notice!" Sirius replies with a smile.

Sirius eagerly leads a nervous Phoenix into the dining room where the Order of the Phoenix members, Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione are waiting for Phoenix with birthday cake, ice cream, presents, Phoenix's favorite dinner and the dining room decorated with birthday decorations. They all shout, "Happy Birthday, Phoenix!"

Phoenix smiles as Sirius hugs him and turns him back around. Phoenix is actually brought to tears by the sentiment.

"I told you it was important Phoenix! Did I not?" Sirius asks with a laugh.

Phoenix laughs. "Yes, you certainly did, Sirius," he says. He looks at everyone with tears swimming in his eyes. "This is amazing," he nearly whispers. "Thank you all so much."

"Are we just going to stand here and cry all night, or can we do something about this food before it goes to waste?" Mad-Eye gruffly barks.

They all get a chuckle and have some dinner and birthday cake and ice cream.  
"Mashed potatoes and…roasted lamb? Muggle recipes are delicious. They sure do know how to eat don't they?" Kingsley asks.

"Yes, they indeed do," Hermione replies with a chuckle.

Phoenix just smiles and eats and enjoys the company of those around him. He looks around and notices that most of these people he knows from his time being mentored by Sirius and living in the House of Black. All except for one person that he cannot for the life of him recall ever meeting. That person is Nymphadora Tonks.

He stares at her in awe after she briefly introduces herself and shakes his hand. Their eyes meet for moment after she sits down at the table and then glances back at him every few minutes before going back to focusing on her food. He continues to stare at her when she's not looking and smiles every time he sees her hair change colors when she catches him. Suddenly he stiffens up surprised but also in awe when he sees her face change shapes while she entertains Harry and Hermione. He never thought he would get to meet, much less be attracted to, someone with the Metamorphagus ability.

"Sirius, who is that lovely woman with Metamorphmagus ability? She's the only person I don't believe I know," he asks

"Oh Tonks?" Sirius asks before carefully looking around before whispering his answer as quietly as he can to Phoenix, "She's my lovely younger cousin; daughter of Andromeda and Ted. Nymphadora Tonks is her—"

The next thing Sirius knows he is hit in the head by a corn on the cob that has been thrown at him and hears her shout through gritted teeth, "Don't… Call… Me… Nymphadora," her hair turning bright red as she gives her demand.

Sirius grimaces. He waits a moment before he speaks again. "Of course she prefers to go by her surname, Tonks, which is what we all call her. She is an Auror and one of our moles, for lack of a better word, in the Ministry."

She gets up to properly introduce herself to Phoenix, unlike the brief greeting earlier, and trips over Hermione's chair, bangs against the corner of the table, bumps into the cabinet and then trips and falls into Sirius knocking both of them down to the floor. Phoenix helps both of them up and then notices that she is still holding his hand after already being on her feet for a moment. He looks at her dark eyes and smiles. She shyly smiles, her hair turns to a frost blue, but then quickly pulls her hand away and hands him the present she got him and says, "It's not much but it's something." He almost cries again. He's touched that she has never met him but still brought him a present for his birthday.

He opens it up and it is a collapsible cauldron with a book on how to make potions and some licorice wands from Honeyduke's Sweetshop.

"How did you know I like licorice wands?" he asks.

"They're one of the best sellers at Honeyduke's Sweetshop. When in doubt, go with the best sellers." she says with a chuckle and her hair turns orange.

Phoenix gives her a hug and it takes him a moment to remove his arms from around her and carefully gives her a kiss on the cheek. A moment later he suddenly realizes he is attracted to her too. Then he starts to think about Florence yet the feelings developing for Tonks won't go away. He decides to not worry about it right now and to open his presents and keep enjoying everyone's company. He can't believe the presents he has gotten. From Lupin he gets a long black winter coat, Mad-Eye gives him his old enchanted trunk, Charlie and Molly give him a handmade bright colored Christmas sweater and an outdated copy of _Hogwarts; A History_, Kingsley gives him a crystal ball and high class formal robes, Ginny gives him a handmade wand holster, Fred and George give him fireworks and gag gifts from their budding store, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Ron gives him coupon to Honeyduke's, Hermione gives him a journal to write his thoughts in, Harry gives him a copy of a picture of himself and the Gryffindor students and says, "A photo of you with all of us who call you a part of our family."

Phoenix looks at it as the people move and smile with a tear rolling down his face. All he can say is, "I love it and shall forever cherish it. Thank you, Harry. Thank you everyone!"  
"Ah, but that's not all of your presents yet. Children, if you could please go upstairs. Harry, you stay though." Sirius says.

Molly gives Sirius a glare that would make any son cower. Luckily for Sirius, he isn't one of Molly's children and it doesn't affect him the way would her children. Sirius simply raises an eyebrow at her, challenging her to say something, anything, about his decision to keep Harry downstairs.

"Before they go, does anyone know why Florence isn't here? Was she not invited?" he asks.

"Sadly, she couldn't make it. She was called to escort Dumbledore on Hogwarts business. It was originally to be you but he didn't want to take away this night from you. She was the only other person he trusted to go with him," Mad-Eye answers.

The Weasley children and Hermione leave the dining room and the door is shut and locked. Sirius has Phoenix stand at the front of the table and everyone else sit down. They all take their seats and look at Sirius. Sirius then looks at Phoenix with a hard and stern look. Phoenix becomes nervous, hearing his heartbeat through his ears again.

"Phoenix, Harry came up with this wonderful idea for a great birthday gift. On behalf of myself and Dumbledore…welcome to The Order of the Phoenix!" Sirius says with a bright grin.

The rest of them stand up and welcome him to the order. Phoenix is honored and surprised. For him this has been an incredible birthday. What he couldn't believe is that he forgot his own birthday with everything else going on. He spends the rest of that night learning about the Order and having fun in the company of his friends and even the Weasley children. He just wishes Hagrid and Florence could have been there as well.

While he is hanging out with Harry, Hermione and Ron they are talking about the years that Phoenix wasn't at Hogwarts while they were there. Ron however stays quiet and doesn't look at or say much to him. He is sitting on the other side of the room far away from Phoenix.

During that time, Phoenix carefully and quietly pulls the mistletoe from his pocket and using his wand, levitates it up above Harry and Hermione. He looks up and then at them and they look back waiting for him to speak. He quietly points up and they see it. Harry and Hermione look at each other and blush nervously.

"We have to, Harry" Hermione says with a shy smile. "It is the rule," she adds with bright red cheeks.

Harry nods and takes a deep breath and tries to control his own blush. They both count to three quietly and lean forward with their eyes closed. Before they know it, their lips softly and gently meet and press together. They hold it for about two minutes before they both seem to dissolve into the kiss and it becomes more passionate. In this time Ron's eyes grow wide, he begins to breathe heavily in anger and he storms out of the room. Once they break the kiss they look at and then away from each other.

"Wow," Harry says to himself with a bit of a chuckle.

Hermione smiles before she reaches for Harry's hand. She holds it for a while as they sit awkwardly silent for the next few minutes. They spend most of the rest of the night silent but continuously looking at each other. Phoenix smiles about what he has instigated.

The next morning he returns to Hagrid's hut on Buckbeak. When he gets there he is surprised to see that Florence is there waiting for him. He smiles when he sees her. She runs up and hugs him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there last night. I guess Sirius told you it was business," she says

"Actually, Mad Eye did, but yes, I was informed. I was given a lot of great gifts and made a member of the Order of the Phoenix," he says

"I know. I was in Dumbledore's office when Harry pitched the idea. I have a present for you," she says.

"You didn't have to. You've given me so much already with your friendship," he shyly replies.

She steps outside and comes back in. She gives him a Foe Glass.

"It's for seeing your enemies when they are behind you. They'll appear as shapes and what not. If you see them close enough to see the light in their eyes, then they're almost upon you and you have very little time to prepare," she says.

"I love it! Thank you," he says and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Followed by another awkward moment where they look into each other's eyes and contemplate before looking away.

"I'm just sorry that I wasn't there last night for your birthday and your induction. But I am glad you like my gift. It was a bit expensive but worth it for my favorite friend," she says.

He smiles and looks at her, "Am I really your favorite friend?" he asks.

"Of course you are, Phoenix. I know we just met but you're the one I have the most in common with and have had the most fun in a long time with," she answers.

"I have fun spending time with you too, Florence. You are the greatest friend I have here at Hogwarts," he replies.

She smiles at him and blushes a little bit. There is a brief silence while they flirtatiously stare at each other again. The tea kettle goes off and they both go to tend to it. They laugh a little bit before she speaks.

"So, you don't have any friends from Durmstrang?" she asks.

"I wasn't a very social person when I was there. I'm also not a very trusting person. Yet everyone trusts me, which is strange to me," he answers.

"I never would have guessed," she says, surprised. "That had to be very lonely. I couldn't imagine what that was like."

"Oddly, it didn't bother me. The only thing that ever really bothered me was after the man who mentored me was sent to Azkaban; I had no one to go home to on breaks and at the end of the year. I ended up living at the academy," he answers.

"Azkaban? Who was it that mentored you?" she asks.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asks.

"Yes. I can handle the truth," she answers.

"Sirius Black," he says.

"Really? He mentored you?" she asks surprised.

Yes. He's a good man," he says.

"I know he is. I met him when I was a child. I know he didn't do what the papers said he did. I am not judging. Now I see how you came to be the great wizard you are now," she says with a smile.

"Thank you. Thank you for not passing judgment or apologizing. Please if you could, don't let anyone else know about that. I prefer not to have that kind of attention," he requests

"I promise," she says and walks up to him.

"Have you listened to the parchment I gave to you?" he asks.

"Not yet," she answers.

"You want to make up not being able to be at my birthday? Say the words and hear what it has to say then come and find me and we'll go from there," he says and winks.

She smiles, gives him a hug and he gives her another kiss on the cheek. She stares him in the eye a minute but she leaves the hut after wishing him a happy birthday again. She looks down and around, takes a deep breath and heads back to her room. She's eager to hear what the parchment has to say. At the same time she is surprised she feels the way she does for him after only a short while.

After he closes the door he smiles. He knows it's a gamble but he can't wait to find out her reaction to the parchment. He put a lot of thought and truth into it. He looks in one of the mirrors and smiles when he sees how much of what Sirius calls "The Honey Glow" she gives him. He's never felt this way about any other woman. Not this seriously. For now, he forgets about the upcoming war.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry for the wait. I have been without a computer for a while. Anyhow, here's the next chapter from the perspective of Florence. Enjoy and please leave a review**_

After leaving Phoenix at Hagrids hut, she nervously walks back to her flat. After she gets there and sets her stuff down, she grabs a piece of Cauldron Cake and unwinds for a little bit while sorting out and arranging the rest of the stuff Phoenix got her since she hasn't really had a chance to go sort it out and get it put away. She smiles as she looks at the cloak now hanging in her closet and then starts placing the parchments and quills where she'll find them. She then sees the parchment that he asked her to say the specific words for. She looks it over and chuckles a little bit when she sees it's blank. She looks at a picture she has of Phoenix. In the picture he stands tall and tilts his head back.

She looks at the picture and then at the parchment. She takes a deep breath and says, "GryffinPuff." Suddenly the parchment floats into the air and opens. When Phoenix's voice is heard, the words on the parchment illuminate as he talks.

"_**Hello, Florence. I'm glad that you've said the words and that you are listening to this parchment. I have to say that this is by far the best day I have had in a very long time. It is nice to have a new friend in these parts. It has been a privilege to be shown Hogsmeade Village and be shown the wonders of Honeyduke's Sweets Shop, Licorice Wands, and Cauldron Cakes. It's also a privilege to be friends with someone as attractive as you are. I have not ever had a woman for a friend in my life. This day has been the most amazing in a long time I know it's a gamble to tell you this but I am going to admit it, from the moment I first saw you in the great hall I had a feeling about you and I couldn't stop thinking about you. The first time I heard your voice I wanted to melt. The first time I saw you in the Great Hall, well…  
Here's a serious question for you and I need a serious and honest answer.  
Do you believe in love at first sight?  
I know it's a little bit sudden and I apologize. I'll be here at Hagrid's waiting for an answer. If you arrive here that will be the greatest answer. If you do not, I will understand and harbor no ill feelings. I will remain your friend. Either way, I hope to hear your answer soon.  
You know now how I feel about you. I know it's sudden but I can't help it. See you soon.  
Sincerely,  
Phoenix"**_

The parchment stops glowing and lays itself back down on the table. Once the words of the parchment sink in she grabs onto the table and stiffens up. Suddenly she falls to her knees and begins to cry with her face in her hands. Eventually she sits against the wall in disbelief. She stares at the parchment and starts wondering what to do. After a half hour she stands up and takes some deep breaths. Once she looks in the mirror, she stares into it and looks down and back up into the mirror and starts talking to herself in it.

"I'll figure out a way. This will work and be better than ever. Just gotta believe it will, Tonks! Let him find out who you really are. It will work out fine, because you still love him!" She says to herself as her hair turns a light blue.


End file.
